1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package for sealing an article therein, and more particularly, concerns a package for sealing a stopcock therein and also relates to a packaged stopcock assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Articles such as stopcocks used for medicinal or health related applications are normally packaged in a sterile or clean container. These stopcocks are used, for example, in conjunction with a syringe or like instrument for the simultaneous handling of more than one fluid. For instance, a hospital pharmacist may need to prefill a syringe with fluid; a stopcock with three or four ports would be used so that fluid can be transferred from a source to the syringe to be filled with a minimal number of steps. Such a procedure using a stopcock not only minimizes manipulative steps, but also contributes to reducing the opportunities for contamination. Most three or four-way stopcocks which are on the market today, and which are sterile and disposable for health or medicinal purposes, are packaged individually in blister-type packages. These blister-type packages often are very flexible and include a cover which is peeled from the package when the stopcock is to be used. When inside these packages, the stopcocks are not held in any fixed position, so that when the cover is peeled from the package, the user can empty the stopcock from the package by merely turning the package over. Of course, once the stopcock falls out of the package, it may become contaminated on the surface upon which it falls. Furthermore, if the user chooses, instead of emptying the stopcock from the package, to attach the syringe to the stopcock while it is still in the package, oftentimes finger manipulation is required to correctly orient the stopcock for attachment. Once again, this manipulation provides greater opportunities for risk of contamination.
With the following deficiencies in mind, it has been desired to provide a stopcock (or similar article) package which will serve to orient the stopcock in the proper position so that it can be attached to a syringe, or like device, before it is removed from the package. The present invention is directed to satisfying this desired need for such a stopcock package.